Extra Credit | Complete

47

Calista

The rest of the night was a blur. It felt like an out of body experience. Blood rushed to my ears. The roaring drowned out the rest of the world around me and all I could focus on was the barrel of the gun.

Lincoln's voice was quieter now. Pleading.

Claudio replied to him. But I couldn't understand him. Everything was muffled, as if I were underwater. Everything was so far away. The gun clinked in his hand. The sound echoed over the erratic beating of my heart. It took everything in me not to take a step back. Lincoln shoved himself away from Andrew to stand between us. I wanted to shout at him to move–to get out of the way–but my throat was painfully dry.

I sucked in a deep breath. Trying to focus on anything but the weapon being pointed in my direction.

"You think I won't?" Claudio challenged, an eyebrow raised.

Lincoln didn't waver. "I know that if you kill me you're going to have to find someone else who's okay with doing your dirty work."

"You're right," Claudio muttered. "Guess I'm going to have to make a sacrifice."

He was prepared to shoot his own son. Bile threatened its way back up.

Would he stop at Lincoln and I or would he end up killing everyone? I was thankful that Ella and Sadie had managed to slip out to safety, but my eyes darted around the room to gauge where everyone else was. Was there a chance they could sneak away while Claudio was focused on Lincoln and I?

Andrew was still to our right and the furthest away from the front door. Amelia was in the kitchen, too frozen in shock to acknowledge my silent pleads for her to run. But when I turned my head to locate where I had last seen Harper, she was nowhere to be found. A sliver of relief had fluttered over me. Perhaps she had managed to get out with Ella and Sadie.

I went to return my attention to the present danger. Claudio and Lincoln were still exchanging words when I finally spotted Harper. She slunk along the living room wall, a mere few inches from where the gun-wielding mad man stood. Claudio's fiery gaze was so focused on Lincoln and I that he hadn't noticed my best friend approaching him from behind.

What happened next played out in seconds.

Harper grabbed hold of the barrel of the gun and gave it a firm twist. It dislodged from Claudio's grasp, a misfire sounding as it clattered to the floor. Without hesitation, Harper kicked it across the carpet with the heel of her sock-clad foot.

"Fuck!" Claudio roared, gripping his wrist with this other hand.

Lincoln didn't hesitate. As soon as his father was unarmed, he crossed the room, landing a blow to the side of Claudio's head. The sound of flesh hitting flesh caused my heart rate to excelerate. I don't know how long I stood there, eyes wide before Harper had appeared next to me. In her right hand was the throw blanket that had once resided on the arm of the couch. It was crumbled into a ball, as if it was wrapped around something.

Harper grabbed my hand, pulling me from the scene unfolding. "Let's go," she rushed out, giving me a tug.

I planted my feet into the carpet, turning my head towards her with wide eyes. "He'll kill him," I whispered.

Harper paused to peer back over her shoulder. Lincoln was now completely on top of Claudio, hammering blow after blow into the man. I could see her take a withering breath at the sight.

"Let's go," she repeated in a firm tone. She gave my hand another tug.

When I didn't budge a warm hand landed on my shoulder. "Go," Andrew urged over the sounds of struggle. "I'll make sure he doesn't take things too far."